Kabocha Curry Udon

I love kabocha, but I'm always looking for new ways to use it. Inspired by a dish I had at Medicine Eatstation in San Francisco, I tried my hand at kabocha curry udon today. This makes enough for two people.


Most important is the udon. In the past, only dried and vacuum-packed udon were available. Both were pretty bad. Now, there's frozen udon available at most Asian markets, and the quality is excellent. The noodles have a nice bounce to them, and while they're done as soon as you heat them through, they're very hard to overcook even if you leave them in simmering water for ten minutes. Sanuki happens to be the brand I've been buying, but there are four or five brands available now.

• four slices kabocha squash (guesstimate and cut enough to fill a cup if you were to dice them)
• half an onion, quartered
• half a carrot (or a whole carrot)
• curry powder
• salt
• pepper

Simmer the vegetables in just enough water to cover them. Pour the vegetables and half a cup of the cooking liquid into a blender and blend. Add water as needed to bring the mixture to a curry consistency. Add a teaspoon of curry powder or more to taste, and salt and pepper as needed.

Put two frozen blocks of udon in hot water just to melt them enough that you can break them apart and put them into the curry. Add cubes of tofu, chicken, vegetables, or mushrooms if you like.